24 Lessons Learned from the Podcast Movement Conference

Last month I attended an amazing new conference called the Podcast Movement. A friend of mine Jared Easley (along with 3 other friends) was a part of launching this brand new conference for podcasters.

I originally chose to attend because I wanted to support Jared’s dream, but I was blown away by the content and the enthusiasm by the attendees.

Earlier this year, Jared along with his friends decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign to see if there was an interest for a podcaster’s only conference. They were overwhelmed by the response.

If you missed Podcast Movement this year, here are a few of the lessons I learned as an attendee.

Chris Brogan – Podcasting as a Business Driver

Chris Brogan held the opening keynote speech of the conference. He focused on a theme I heard throughout my time there. Be yourself. Don’t be a pale imitation of others. Here are a few notables:

We have this idea that when we reach a certain level of success we become immune to challenges. That’s not the case.

If you’re going to push the edges you are consistently inviting new challenges in to your life.

[spp-tweet “”Don’t become a pale imitation. You’ll end up being ignored.” Srinivas Rao”]

Chase Reeves – TBD (The Big Don’ts)

Chase is a character to say the least. I knew this presentation was not going to lack energy. Chase’s workshop talk was focused on the don’ts of podcasting. Here they are:

Don’t Be Inconsistent – Something happens when you commit to a schedule and deadline

Don’t Be Invaluable – You are not the main character. Don’t confuse your story with the story of your business and what you do for others.

Don’t Copy Others – All that you see out there was created by people who are no smarter than you. The 10,000 hours of building skill is really people who were trying to find their own voice.

Don’t Get Burned Out – Burnout is really you trying to give what you do not possess. Success is having the long view of many short cycles.

[spp-tweet “”You are not the main character. Don’t confuse your story with the story of your business.” @Chase_Reeves”]

The Panel Discussion – A Roundtable Discussion Among the Podcast Gurus

This was a great roundtable discussion to sit in one. The members of the roundtable were Cliff Ravenscraft, Chris Brogan, and Michael Stelzner. This guided discussion was based on the advice they would give to someone launching a new podcast.

Branding is not “who are you?” but “who are you to me?” Make it about your audience and what you can do for them.

Stop saying “you guys” and talk to one person when recording a podcast

2 ways to know people are listening – 1) do a contest to have your followers take a selfie and tweet it with a hashtag. 2) Use click to tweet and encourage people to share your show on Twitter

Don’t make a name for yourself – only move forward if you have a servant’s heart. Are you doing this for the wrong reasons?

[spp-tweet ““Branding is not who are you but who are you to me.” – @Mike_Stelzner”]

Greg Hickman – 6 Ways to Connect and Convert Your Mobile Listeners

While I learned something new from every talk I sat in on, this may have been one of my favorites. Greg Hickman engaged the audience on how to connect better to your podcast listeners that are using their mobile phones.

1. Mobile Friendly Web – Do you have a mobile responsive theme so that if your audience is listening to your podcast via their mobile phone, they can visit your site.2. Plugins – Use podcast plugins that work with mobile phone. An example is Pat Flynn’s new podcast player3. Mobile friendly emails – Be sure the email subscription service you use has mobile friendly emails.4. Mobile app experience – Consider creating a mobile app to connect better with your audience.6. SMS/Text – How can podcasters use SMS/Text to better connect with their listeners? Use text! 90% of text messages that are read within 3 minutes. Also, 99% of all messages are received.

[spp-tweet ““90% of text messages that are read within 3 minutes. Use text in your business.” – @gjhickman”]

Unfortunately, I had to leave the conference one day earlier that I would have liked. If you enjoyed some of my notes above, then consider attending with me next year’s Podcast Movement.

Question: Which of the lessons above make the most impact on you?

Jonathan has been blogging since 2009 and is still in awe that the Creator of the Universe desires to have a relationship with him. His passions include spending time with his kids, reading, March Madness, surprise get-a-way trips with his wife, and watching funny YouTube videos.

We try our best to keep the information on BYP current, but things are always changing so it may be different now than when it was first published. Therefore, any references to prices, deals, products, and websites are subject to change without notice. Additionally, all the pages on BYP help us pay the bills by using affiliate relationships with Amazon, Google, eBay and others. Find out more here.